This invention relates generally to a stone for such uses as deburring, honing, lapping and polishing, and razor-sharpening, and more particularly to an abrasive disk which is particularly adapted for use by hand and which has a removable cap.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that abrasive stones are used for a variety of deburring, honing, finishing and polishing, and sharpening operations. At times, someone desiring to perform such tasks desires to do so with a different pattern or with a more comfortable device than what is provided by the abrading tools or stones which presently exist. To this end, there have been several attempts to provide such devices.
Several such attempts involve the use of an abrading device attached to a power tool. The power tool then provides for movement of the abrading device. One such abrading device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,922, issued to Blanchard, Jr., which teaches a buffing pad that attaches to the shaft of a power tool. Another example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,577, issued to J. H. MacKay, Jr., for a disposable finishing article having an integral mounting hub, including improved pressure cap. This, too, attaches to the shaft of a power tool. Other examples of this type are U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,316; 4,896,463; and 4,945,687. However, none of these devices can be hand held to provide a non-rotary type abrading. Also, these rotary-type implements tend to move at such high speeds that they cannot be used for precision operations. Because of their shape, the filings from the abraded material tend to decrease the efficiency of the abrading. Because of the materials used, the porosity is such that some type of oil or other lubricant must be used for abrading.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,139, issued to I. S. Hong et al., discloses a conformable hand sanding pad. This patent exemplifies the state of the hand held abrading devices. Presently, the art focuses upon a hand held sanding device as opposed to a hand held abrading stone. The Hong et al. patent is shaped such that the abraded material can actually interfere with the sanding properties of the pad. The Hong device uses a finger loop for attachment to the hand that can be very uncomfortable to the user.
Finally, conventional sharpening stones and the like are useful but have significant drawbacks. The shape is uncomfortable to grip and difficult to use on certain shaped surfaces. The shape of the stone can also interfere with its own abrading properties.
What is needed, then, is a hand held abrasive disk shaped to be comfortable in the user's hand, as well as to prevent the filings from the abraded object to interfere with the abrading properties of the disk. This disk must have some type of protection for the user's hand to prevent direct exposure to the abrasive disk and to protect sensitive surfaces to which the disk may come in contact when not in use. This hand held abrasive disk must have sufficient porosity to allow water to be used as a lubricant without the requirement of oil. The abrading disk must be long lasting. The abrasive disk must be simple and usable independent of the availability of electric power. This hand held abrading device must have two sides that can be used for abrading so that if one side is unusable because of wear, the other side can be used. This abrasive disk is lacking in the prior art.